The MPs of opposition’s mega INDIA bloc, including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and others wore T-shirts featuring a woman’s photo and on the back side it read, “124 not out”. It was a jibe at the Election Commission of India (ECI), after the woman’s age was found to be mentioned as 124 years on the voter roll. The leaders wore the T-shirt bearing the photo and name of the woman – Minta Devi, as they protested against the poll body’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar.

Now, the same woman has questioned the leaders as to why they took the step and wore the T-shirts with her photo on it. While talking to news agency ANI, Minta Devi asked who gave the opposition leaders the right to take her name and photograph. 

“…I came to know about this 2-4 days back…Who are they (Opposition MPs) to me? Who is Priyanka Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi to me? Who gave them the right to wear T-shirts featuring me?…I think there are discrepancies (in list)…I did not get anyone’s (from administration) phone call…Why are they becoming my well-wisher over my age?…This should not be done, I do not want this…” she said.

“I just want my details to be corrected…” she added. 

When asked what she wanted to tell the government, Minta Devi added that she was not responsible for what happened in Parliament premises. “…I don’t know anything about it,” she said.

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In a stern message, the Siwan voter said that her date of birth is 15-07-1990 but the voter roll shows her age as 124 years. “Do I look like an 124-year-old?” she asked.

“Whoever entered the details, did they do so with their eyes closed?…” an angry Minta Devi said, adding “If I am 124-years-old in the eyes of Govt, why are they not giving me old age pension?”

What is the row?

The opposition said that Minta Devi has been mentioned as an 124-year-old woman on the voters list in Bihar as the first-time voter. Stating that many similar errors are there in the roll, the parties called for the roll back of the SIR exercise the top poll panel is undertaking in poll-bound Bihar.

The reason – opposition claims the revision is aimed to give the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led NDA alliance in Bihar an edge in the assembly elections later this year. Led by Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Akhilesh Yadav, the leaders on Monday marched to the EC office.

They were detained by the Delhi police and taken in a bus where several MPs, including TMC’s Mahua Moitra reportedly fainted. 

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The Bihar electoral roll revision has been taken up by the poll panel for the first time after 2003, to identify the illegal voters, those who have died or left the state. Multiple petitions challenging the exercise were filed in the Supreme Court as well.

The top court began hearing the batch of petitions on Tuesday.